Private AreaWhat does the PSC do?
The PSC is a political, administrative and financial framework to develop South-South cooperation, with the intention to make this a replicable model. In the operational field, the basic technical feature of the PSC is an institutional arrangement and financial facility for “call for proposals” from a bottom-up approach, taking into consideration the guiding principles of equality, reciprocity and participation and other criteria, laid down in the PSC Regulations in May 2005.
› PSC GUIDING PRINCIPLES
In the spirit of the SDA, the guiding principles of the PSC are equality, reciprocity and participation of all societal stakeholders. The principle of equality implies that the signatory partner countries and their respective National Mechanisms for Sustainable Development have equal rights and authority in policy formulation and decision making. The principle of equality likewise guides partnerships with civil society institutions and/or between partner institutions in more than one of the partner countries in formulating and implementing projects or activities under the PSC.
The principle of reciprocity guides the PSC and steers its projects and activities. Reciprocity is expressed through jointly established themes and objectives of common interest to the three partner countries, to which they are jointly committed to cooperate by developing and sharing experience, knowledge and expertise for the benefit of at least two of the partner countries.
Participation of societal stakeholders is expressed by the joint formulation and implementation of projects and activities by parties in civil society and government.
The PSC addresses, directly or in an indirect manner, the prioritized sustainable development themes (especially water, energy, agriculture and biodiversity) and the Millennium Development Goals (especially poverty reduction, gender equity, environmental sustainability and partnership for development).
The main thematic areas of the Programme for South-South Cooperation are:
